The Science Of Fire & Sheila Jordan At 90

A wildfire threatens homes as it burns along the 101 Freeway Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, in Ventura, Calif.

Jae C. Hong / AP Photo

Stanford lecturer Ian Monroe talks about the link between climate change and California wildfires. He joined Insight in 2018 for an extended conversation. His own home had burned in a wildfire in 2017. Then, a look back at the wildfire that closed Yosemite in 2018, and what firefighting in the National Park might look like in the future. That story is from an episode of Yosemiteland, a podcast produced by CapRadio.

Later, we’ll re-cue Gary Vercelli’s chat with legendary jazz singer Sheila Jordan. She’s now 90 years old. We’ll hear about her career, her teaching and how she became the first artist to sign a contract with Blue Note Records.

Climate Scientist Ian Monroe

Ian Monroe is a scientist at Stanford University. He’s a lecturer for the Earth Systems Program and has worked toward climate solutions in more than two dozen countries. Monroe co-founded the investment firm, Etho Capital, which focuses on climate efficiency and sustainability.

In January 2018, Monroe sat down with Insight Producer, Bert Johnson, to discuss climate change — the overwhelming evidence linking it to extreme weather conditions, and the potential for wide-scale solutions. The conversation started with wildfires. In recent years, California has seen them grow larger and more destructive. Monroe’s own family home was one of the hundreds of structures lost in the 2017 Redwood Complex Fire. The interview started with this question: Would megafires like the ones we’ve seen in the state be possible if the climate weren’t changing?

He also discussed some of the common concerns about investing in renewable energy sources. And a note: you’re going to hear them mention Senate Bill 100. When we recorded the interview in January, 2018, it was on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk. Then-Governor Brown signed it into law later that year.

Yosemiteland — Fire

During peak tourist season in 2018, the most popular place in Yosemite was eerily quiet. For the first time in nearly thirty years, a wildfire had closed major portions of the park due to heavy smoke.

In this episode of YosemiteLand, CapRadio’s environment reporter, Ezra David Romero, looks at the future of fire in the national park. He hikes with a scientist studying how climate change could drastically transform its landscape, talks with the park’s first female fire chief, and learns about life growing up in a fire zone. This episode of YosemiteLand was released in Summer, 2018.

Sheila Jordan: A Retrospective On A Long Career In Jazz

Sheila Jordan has had an amazing career. In 1962, the jazz singer and songwriter was signed to legendary Blue Note Records. In fact, she was the first artist to be signed to that label. Jordan created a unique singing style that brought her much acclaim. Earlier this year, CapRadio’s jazz music director, Gary Vercelli, asked Jordan, who’s now 90, about her career, her teaching and how that early signing to Blue Note Records came about.